Working and living in Graz

Working and living in Graz: Your career location for environment, planning and geodata

An overview of the city

Graz, the state capital of Styria with around 330,000 inhabitants, is Austria's second-largest city and the “capital of pleasure”. The UNESCO World Heritage Old Town, modern architecture (Kunsthaus, Murinsel) and the role as a “City of Design” combine history with innovation. As a university town with Karl Franzens University Graz, TU Graz, FH JOANNEUM and other universities, as well as the location of JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Graz is characterized by an exceptional density of universities and research strength. Graz as a place of work stands out with TU Graz as a leading technical university, the Green Tech Valley as a cleantech cluster and a lively scientific and economic landscape. Living in Graz means Styrian comfort, Mediterranean flair, wine culture, culinary excellence and a city that combines innovation with quality of life. For professionals who want to combine a career in Graz with an Austrian lifestyle, the Styrian capital is a first-class choice.

Labor market for environmental and planning occupations

The job market in Graz offers excellent prospects for specialists in the environmental, planning and geodata sectors. As the state capital, the city of Graz is working on sustainable urban development and climate-friendly transformation. The Canton of Styria with the Office of the Styrian State Government coordinates spatial planning and geoinformation for the region. GIS Jobs Graz benefit from GIS-Steiermark® as a comprehensive geodata infrastructure and the geoportal of the city of Graz. Environmental planners Graz find tasks in a city that, as an eco-city and green city, pursues ambitious sustainability goals.

Graz's particular strength lies in the Green Tech Valley: Styria is Europe's leading region for environmental technology with over 250 companies and research institutions. JOANNEUM RESEARCH, as Austria's second-largest non-university research institution, researches energy, environment, mobility and sustainability. With its Institute for Energy, Transport and Environmental Management, FH JOANNEUM offers practice-oriented research on smart cities, renewable energy and sustainable mobility.

Geodata jobs in Graz are created by the city, the state of Styria, by surveying offices such as ADP Rinner and in the GIS industry. Surveyors Graz benefit from TU Graz with excellent geodesy courses. Vacancies in Spatial Planning Graz include positions in the city and countryside as well as at planning offices. Geoinformatics Graz is in an excellent position: TU Graz offers the Master's degree in Geospatial Technologies, as does the Karl Franzens University Graz. The Department of Geography and Spatial Research at the University of Graz researches urban and regional development. The unique combination of two technical universities, Green Tech Valley and Austrian quality of life makes Graz an attractive location for environmental and planning professionals.

Quality of life and infrastructure

Working in Graz means living in one of Austria's most livable cities. The cost of living is at Austrian level, but is lower than in Vienna or Salzburg. Living in Graz offers a wide range of options at moderate prices compared to Austria. The housing market is more relaxed than in Vienna. The transport connections are good: Graz is centrally located in Austria with connections to Vienna, Salzburg, Klagenfurt and Ljubljana. Graz Airport offers European connections. The tram network is well developed. Graz's work-life balance benefits from the location: the Styrian wine country, the thermal region, the South Styrian Wine Route and the Alps are on the doorstep. Graz is culturally lively: The old town as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kunsthaus, the Murinsel, opera house, theatre and a lively gastronomic scene characterize the city.

career prospects

Graz has excellent job opportunities for specialists in the environmental, planning and geospatial sectors. TU Graz and Karl Franzens University Graz both offer the Master's degree in Geospatial Technologies. TU Graz is researching geodesy, GIS, remote sensing and navigation. FH JOANNEUM offers practice-oriented courses in energy, transport and environmental management. JOANNEUM RESEARCH offers research positions. The career of environmental engineer Graz is supported by Green Tech Valley with cleantech companies. Vacancies in Spatial Planning Graz are supported by urban development and the REAL CORP conference, which makes Graz the “capital of urban planning.” For qualified specialists, Graz is therefore the capital of pleasure with scientific excellence, green tech expertise and Styrian quality of life.